Own Team?
by Megeen
Summary: Basically, what could have happened when Parker goes after Hardison after "The Scheherazade Job". Also, spoiler for the end of "The Double Blind Job"


**1) What could have happened after the last scene of ****"The Scheherazade Job". Also, spoiler for the end of "The Double Blind Job".**

**2) I enjoy writing in English, but seeing as it's not my first language, please tell me about any style issues or grammar mistakes so I can correct them.**

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Hardison was more hurt and annoyed than angry when he marched out of the pub, firstly because of Nate's manipulation, but also because in the back of his mind he knew he did not want to alienate everybody just to be a leader. However, his musings were interrupted by a body softly colliding with his back in mid-stride and two arms and legs wrapping around his neck and stomach. "Pp-Parker. W-what," he exclaimed when he turned his head and her soft hair brushed his cheek. Although this was certainly a first Hardison had learnt to expect surprises when Parker was around, and did not throw her off.

She did not always fully understand why people acted the way they did, but Parker had learnt to read moods pretty well, and especially Hardison was no exception to this. "I think I wouldn't want you to be our leader," she stated simply, looking at him sideways from above his shoulder.

"Well thanks for that," he replied sarcastically, but continued walking. Piggy-baging her was not particularly uncomfortable; His arm range was slightly limited, but Parker was certainly light enough to not disrupt his step.

She continued in her Parker-logic, matter-of-fact voice. "If you'd have to be mean to be a leader, I think I wouldn't want you to be ours. I like you much better the way you are."

"Thanks," he smiled his ego growing again as her warmth radiated trough his shirt.

Seeing this Parker bounced a little on his back. "The way I see it I like what I do, and I'm good at it. Why do you wanna do Nate's job?"

"Dunno. Not now and not Nate's job, but maybe in the future, when I have my own crew. I just imagined it would be pretty cool, I guess."

"I don't wanna be in another team. Not even in the future." She replied as if that settled that, which for Parker it did. "And I also doubt drinking is good for your hand-eye-coordination. You probably wouldn't be able to press the right keys."

Hardison snickered, "Heh, you don't have to be a drunk to be a team-leader. But with Nate as the only example I get how you came to that."

Satisfied with having lifted is mood Parker laid her shin on his shoulder and Hardison felt her hair tickle his neck and cheek at every step he took. Now that his foul mood had dissipated he was really starting to enjoy having her warm body wrapped around him. "So, what now," he enquired to break the silence.

"Now," she considered for a moment. "I want pretzels," she continued apparently quiet proud of this inference, but looked to the side self-consciously to give him the chance to ignore her.

This was the first time Hardison actually staggered since the beginning of this weird piggy-bag-conversation. "Girl, pretzels? You know what that means right," he asked slowly.

His chest expanded with hope and Parker felt more confident. "Yep. Seeing as I came up with it."

Determined to see her face better, Hardison nudged her legs a little and Parker disentangled them from around his middle, landing lightly on the ground. He turned around to face her and placed his hands in the small of her back to hold their bodies flush together. Dark eyes met grey-blue ones as Hardison inclined his head seriously. "You sure?"

Instead of answering Parker smirked triumphantly and stretched to close her lips over his while simultaneously running her strong fingers up his short hair to hold on to his head.

After the fraction of a second Hardison succumbed to her sucking lips, brushing his across her mouth softly at first but with growing vigour. This wetness and the escalating heat of their bodies felt immeasurably better than even the tiny, hasty kisses of their make-believe making-out in front of the vault door. Involuntarily his hands flexed on Parker's back, pulling her still tighter into his body. When one of Hardison's hands raked up her back and into her hair at the nape of her neck, Parker gasped and the kiss deepened instinctively. Breathing was very unimportant for a while, and when their lungs finally demanded it they simply took in each others scents through their noses adding a new pleasant sense to the conversation.

They were spinning out of control, fast, and Hardison dimly registered that they would have to stop before he embarrassed himself, although the way Parker dug her nails into his shoulders when he pressed their hips together, she did not seem to mind at all. When he eventually tilted back his head Parker's lips clung to his and he waited for her to look at him.

After a moment of adjusting her hooded eyes and feeling very dizzy Parker gasped: "Ouch, hurts."

Hardison needed to reboot his brain, because at that moment everything that mattered was that Parker was still pressing her body close to his. "What," he gulped trying to form a coherent thought.

"My chest. It hurts like…" Parker did not know how to describe it. When these feelings had started and she did not recognize them, she had been annoyed at the butterflies in her stomach whenever he was around. But she had learnt to deal with that and even enjoy it. The stabbing pain of her rapid heartbeat, however, added a whole different level she had never experienced before, not even when her body had been pumped full of adrenalin as she jumped down a building.

Hardison grinned in relieved realisation that he was not the only one this affected by what was going on between them and lifted his hand to stroke her flushed cheek. "I'm sorry, but that's normal." He grinned at her ensuing pout and nudged her cheek with his nose. "But it will get better." A little unsure he continued, "Or do you wanna stop?"

Realising that he was once again trying to step back and give her a way out, Parker rose to the challenge as always and tilted her head to the side in mock-contemplation. "It doesn't hurt _that_ bad," she smirked and pulled his widely grinning mouth to hers again.

Hardison just hoped this was not a hallucinatory side-effect of the hypnosis.

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**When I was almost finished with this story, I suddenly realized I had wrongly assumed that "****The Double-Blind Job" takes place before "Scheherazade", so let's just imagine that this is very slightly AU and they aired in that order. I just wanted to be able to use the pretzel stuff, too. ;D**


End file.
